James Ciganek of Reston, Va., turned in a two-day 157, seven shots clear of his nearest competitor, Joey Piatek of Munster, Ind., to take the Open Division honors at the 2022 U.S. Hickory Open at the Mission Inn Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla. As low amateur, Ciganek also won the John Fischer Jr. Low Amateur Award. Ciganek and Piatek were followed by Peter Flory with 167 and SoHG President Scott Staudacher with 170. Staudacher took first place net honors in the Open Division with 144, followed by Joe Hollerbach, the current SoHG VP, with 145 net. A good showing for our two Board leaders.
James Ciganek of Reston, Va., 2022 USHO Men’s champion.
It was expected to be a close contest, but Rylee Stovall of Litchfield Park, Ariz., was on her game and ran off with the Women’s title, blistering the already toasty Florida golf course with 155. Her nearest challenger, Bailey Weigandt of Louisville, Ky., turned in 168 for second place. Net honors went to 2014 USHO Women’s champion Barb Kopec with 131, followed by BJ Hayden with 140. Young Miss Stovall’s net score was also 131, but SoHG rules stipulate that one may win in one category only.
Rylee Stovall, 2022 USHO Women’s champion.
In the Senior Division, it was Steve Simer of Madison, Wisconsin., whose 165 bested Ted Kopec of Niceville, Fla., by two. Net honors in this division went to Carlos Debarros of Lake Worth, Fla., with a net 131. Doug Gilbert of Henderson, N.C., took second net in the Senior Division with 146.
2022 USHO Senior champ Steve Simer, center, with Scott Staudacher, left, and Mike Stevens.
For the elder statesmen, the Super Seniors, it was Larry Woods’ 149 that won the top spot; nine better than second place finisher Gary Krupkin of Richardson, Texas. The net victor for the Super Seniors was Cal Whitman of Rio, Ill., with 133. He was followed by Joe Bradshaw of Cave Creek, Ariz., with 138.
2022 USHO Super Senior Champ Larry Woods, center, with Scott Staudacher, left, and Mike Stevens.
It was a happy awards luncheon with everybody staying around to watch the festivities and drink in a few last bits of the beautiful Mission Inn grounds before leaving the party. Never was heard a discouraging word, according to the SoHG’s Staudacher who reported that all comments made to him were congratulatory on a fine USHO. The 2022 Organizing Committee of Marci Likens, Mike Stevens and Bill Geisler, aided and abetted by Staudacher and Jim Davis, SoHG executive director, put on fine show by all accounts. The devil is in the details so they say and that trio had everything well in hand.
Click here for full 2022 USHO scores, both gross and net.
The USHO turns its attention next year to Inwood Country Club in Inwood, N.Y., the site of Bobby Jones’ first U.S. Open victory in 1923. Dates are set for Sept. 9-12.
Click on any photo in the gallery below to bring up full images.
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- 2022 USHO Open Division Results
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- 2022 USHO Women’s Division Results
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- 2022 USHO Senior Results
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- 2022 USHO Super Senior Results
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- James Ciganek, 2022 USHO Open champion.
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- James Ciganek, center, with trophy presenters Scott Staudacher, left, president of the SoHG, and Mike Stevens, chair of the 2022 USHO Committee. Ciganek also holds the John Fischer Jr. Low Amateur Award.
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- Rylee Stovall, 2022 USHO Women’s Champion.
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- Rylee Stovall with Scott Staudacher, left, and Mike Stevens.
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- The Women’s Division at the 2022 USHO.